The decoys worked yesterday...

Craig F

Well-known member
PC090100.jpg
 
The ducks are on the bow of my dad's original Heinrich sneakbox as seen here:

PB250073.jpg


The boat in my avatar is a "Highlands" sneakbox from my area of NJ built in '72, all fiberglass:

PB250078.jpg
 
Nice boat. I need to get me one of those. Those are nice blocks you have there. Did you make those? Cork or wood? Do the folks in the houses there in the background get PO'd with you hunting there, or do they leave you alone for the most part? Areas that are open for hunting are getting harder to find here in Mass. We have one spot similar to that that is great for late season blacks and mallards, but the houses are slowly creeping closer. One of our old spots is now unhuntable as the farmer who owned the land had to sell it to a developer in order to pay his taxes. Now, there are two dozen mcmansions where we used to sit and shoot woodies and teal, and watch the deer and turkies come out of the woods. No more!

Best,
Nate
 
I shot a couple of those gaddies myself yesterday. They sure are pretty birds!

Tight Lines ... Fred
 
The area we hunt has always been more populated than south jersey where there are more WMAs but there has not been too much expansion towards the river. The other islands in the background are not usually hunted because they are pretty marginal with the houses there. With that being said our area in central jersey used to be much more popular but in recent years it has pretty much become just a locals spot with only a few of us hunting consistantly. A few years ago there was an anti group trying to place a ban on hunting in the area but that went nowhere and I haven't heard much since. For instance this past weekend even with the cold weather finally there were only 2 guys out in the morning. There used to be a good spot with a brush pile to shoot divers off of until Jon Bon Jovi built a mansion on the property, that is about the only spot I know of that has been lost in recent years.

The decoys are cork made by a friend of my father's who has now passed away. Ken Lions.
 
Craig,

Beautiful boat - thanks for the postings.

We're going to be in central NJ for the holidays, if you're nearby maybe we could meet for a beer.

Thanks again for the postings... my brother lives near Red Bank in a town called Rumson - I may be there as well. I've hunted the Shrewsbury River once - saw all kinds of action. Pound for pound, I think NJ is the best duck hunting spot around.

A.
 
Hey Craig i know that spot. I first learned to hunt there. Got my first black duck off to the right of that photo. Maybe next year i'll be back. Just ordered my plans to build a black brant III. Best of luck this season, i'm jealous

Derek
 
I just so happen to live in Rumson. The hunting is just starting to get good finally, we'll see how it does with this stretch of warm weather.

I have grown up hunting down here as well. I am only 22 but I've been hunting the river system for over 12 years.

I mainly hunt the Navesink since I'm 3 blocks from the ramp but do shoot the shrews from time to time.
 
I've got 12 years on you but you problaly have more hunting experience out there than me. If you see an idiot trying to Paddle his way across the Nav in a stealth 2000, thats me, don't forget to wave as you go by. Next year i'll have the battleship!

Derek
 
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